


As straight as the crow flies

by pastles



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, M/M, Mating Bond, Minor Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:55:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21952552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastles/pseuds/pastles
Summary: In a land where crows are considered bad luck and shapeshifters to be forbearers of misfortune, the young prince meets the mysterious headmaster of an orphanage, The Blackbird, known as such due to the flocks of blackbirds that congregate there. What secrets does this man hold? And why does his smile make the prince’s heart beat faster? Really, all the prince wants to do is to see if he can make the stern headmaster smile more, sure, maybe he might have teased him a little bit too much but surely that doesn’t warrant the dragons flying in to destroy his country, right?
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi
Comments: 15
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [angel_with_a_scythe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_with_a_scythe/gifts).



> Hello Kiku! It is I, PASTLES, your Secret Santa! I hope you enjoy this humble offering :3 I took some liberties with your prompts, but if we want to be strict, then I went with the fantasy prompt. If we're not strict, then I'm going to say that I went with the soulmate with a twist of ABO, and the 2 different worlds prompt. HAHAHA You thought it was one 1 prompt, BUT THERE WAS MORE! Merry Christmas!

The lump on the bed stirred as the birds started chirping outside on the balcony, loud enough that they could still be heard even through the thick curtains keeping the bright sun out. Something flew across the room to hit the curtains with a soft thud before dropping uselessly onto the ground.

The birds didn’t stop chirping.

A groan came from under the covers and finally they were thrown off. A young man sat up, yawning while scratching at his nest of a bedhead. With a slight shiver, as it was a cold morning, the young man slipped off the bed to walk towards the wash basin, grumbling under his breath all the way there. He reached out and pulled at the curtain viciously, a smirk appearing when the birds were startled enough to fly away. His smirk didn’t last long though as they were soon back and started chirping even louder than they had been, as though they were taking revenge for the young man startling them.

A soft knock on the door distracted the young man from the annoying birds and he beckoned for whoever it was to enter.

“Your Highness… good morning.”

“Kai, how many times have I told you to just call me Tetsurou when we’re alone?”

A small smile appeared on Kai’s face, “You’ll probably have to do it a few more times, Kuroo-sama.”

“Is that lazy lout awake yet?”

“Although I think I wouldn’t mind if _Yaku-san_ just calls me by ‘Your Highness’ all the time.”

“I do call you that!” A shorter man appeared from behind Kai. “I just only do it in front of other people!”

“So rude, Yaku-san.” Although he said that, there was no reprimand in his tone at all.

“My apologies, Your Highness.” The grin on Yaku's face showed how _sincere_ his apology was.

Tetsurou threw his towel at Yaku, who neatly caught it, and went behind the screen to change. Yaku was meant to be his valet, and was supposed to help him with all his daily activities, including dressing Tetsurou, but Tetsurou always had a weird streak of independence in him and refused all help the moment he was able to do things himself.

He did make Yaku help him sometimes, but that was so he could annoy the other man. He had grown up with Yaku and Kai; the other man was meant to be his secretary, though Tetsurou wasn’t king yet, he had many other duties as the prince of the land and Kai was a genius at his work, able to be diplomatic enough to send rejections without causing a diplomatic situation.

Proof of how good Kai was at his work, he managed to step in at just the right time to stop the growing argument between Tetsurou and Yaku.

“Yaku-san, you know how Kuroo-sama feels about his hair, I think we can leave it for now.”

Yaku couldn’t resist throwing a comment in before he started making the bed, “That’s probably why the birds are here everyday. They think that THAT’S their nest.”

“Yaku-san! That’s mean!” Tetsurou pouted as he tried to tame his hair, but nothing he did could prevent it from springing back up. Tetsurou tried cutting it once but the constant trimming got on his nerves and so he just gave in and kept it longer, only trimming it when Yaku forced… persuaded him to.

Kai started briefing Tetsurou of his day, while Yaku bustled around the room. Another knock had maids coming in bringing in a big breakfast that Tetsurou would share with Kai and Yaku the moment they left. While they were in the middle of the breakfast, a silent figure slipped in through the slight opening on the door, head buried in a book.

“Kenma, get some breakfast before you get distracted by the book.”

“I ate. Morning Kai, Yaku.”

Kai and Yaku returned Kenma’s greeting as he made himself comfortable in a huge armchair near the doors to the balcony.

“Why don’t the birds ever bother Kenma?” Tetsurou groused through a mouthful of sausage.

“Because he doesn’t have a nest for a hairstyle.”

“A least I can remove my saddle from the hook without he- hey! Ouch! Kai, tell Yaku to stop kicking me! I’m surprised he can reach… ouch. I’m your prince, Yaku! Stop it!”

Kai just continued to eat, moving his cup and plate away when the shaking of the table got a bit too violent at times, ignoring the fighting prince and valet. The fight didn’t last long, and Tetsurou and Yaku were back to eating, faces a little red from their squabble.

“Seems like the new occupants have moved into that new orphanage,” Kai spoke up when he was sure that Tetsurou and Yaku were calmed down enough.

“Really?”

“Oh yes! Alisa told me that when she brought the milk in today.” Yaku magnanimously ignored Tetsurou’s snicker at the word “milk” and continued, “It’s the talk of the town apparently.”

Tetsurou chewed on his toast as he contemplated what Kai and Yaku said. The past spring, someone had finally bought over the abandoned building right at the edge of the main town, just slightly beyond the castle’s walls. It wasn’t that far of a ride from the castle, but it would take a while for one to walk there. That old house and its surrounding lands were owned by one of the royals, but according to legends, nothing good happened to the family when they stayed there. Children would fall ill and die, crops would fail, and any investments made by the family would never succeed. It got so bad that the family soon fell destitute, and they had to sell the land to some merchants (to the consternation of the other nobles). But like the previous owners, bad times also fell on to the new ones, and soon that house was abandoned and the lands left to grow wild.

It was such a notorious legend that it caused a big hoo-ha when word travelled that someone had finally bought that land from the bank, and was going to turn it into an orphanage, named Blackbird, of all things.

It was ironically appropriate, since blackbirds were considered ominous in the lands here, and Tetsurou appreciated such things very much. His interest had been piqued from the moment he heard that someone had bought that inauspicious land, and he got REALLY interested when he heard that it was going to be an orphanage.

Especially when no requests for funding came to the castle. The royal family had always been generous about helping the needy and Tetsurou was instrumental in pushing some of the newer undertakings. Tetsurou sincerely believed that when his subjects thrived, the kingdom would too. Besides, he enjoyed thinking up different schemes… ideas to appropriate… liberate… divest... money from the other members of the royal family, especially that snake, Daishou.

“Do you want to visit them today then?” Yaku’s voice floated out from Tetsurou’s walk-in closet.

His friends really knew him too well, Tetsurou mused when Yaku walked out with a plain shirt and a pair of plain brown trousers. Kai had already finished his breakfast and was standing up to leave the table. 

“I’ll tell everyone that the prince is indisposed today.” 

“It’s not like you scheduled anything important for him today,” Yaku’s tart voice and grin had Kai smiling sheepishly.

“It is a nice day for a ride, isn’t it?”

Tetsurou knew that Kai and Yaku could see the gratitude even if his smile _did_ look very much like a smirk.

++++++++++

It _was_ a nice day for a ride. The sun was out, but there was a breeze that made Tetsurou’s hair even messier than usual, to his consternation, but cooled down his ride enough that when he arrived at Blackbird he was not a sweating mess. Tetsurou gave a low whistle when what was previously an old and dilapidated building came into view.

The mansion built by the original owners had been left standing even though the owners had changed numerous times through the years. Ivy had grown and now covered all the walls, and the new owners apparently saw fit to leave the ivy on the wall. When the mansion was empty, it gave it a creepy feeling, but now, with the windows cleaned and opened, and the sounds of life floating in the air, the air of neglect had disappeared to be replaced by a feeling of welcome.

Tetsurou’s horse, Dee, nickered as they approached the opened gates and the sounds of children grew louder. The path had been cleared, and the grounds were no longer full of overgrown weeds. The laughter made Tetsurou smile, and he dismounted, leading Dee towards the back where he remembered the stables were when no one came out to greet him.

The scene that greeted Tetsurou warmed his heart. Children were running around, some were playing on the swings hanging from trees, and there were even a few dogs playing with the children.

One of those dogs finally noticed him and barked, causing everyone to turn their heads towards him. One of the kids, with bright orange hair, yelled something intelligible and ran towards the main house, another taller kid with black hair following right behind him. At the same time, the rest of the kids started running _towards_ Tetsurou, eyes big and bright with curiosity.

“Hello mister! Who are you?”

“Who are you?”

“Why is your hair like that?”

“That’s a cool horse, mister!”

“Can we touch it?!”

Luckily for the children, Tetsurou’s horse was both well-trained and patient. With his nod, the children had surrounded them and were petting his horse with little hands at heights as high as they could reach.

“Tsukki, don’t you want to pet the horse?”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

Well, apparently not all the children were interested in him and his horse. Even with the clamouring of a group of kids, Tetsurou noticed 2 of them, standing apart from the rest. They were taller than the ones who have gathered around him, and when Tetsurou craned his neck, he noticed a small girl with blonde hair hiding behind a tree. He knew it was not nice but Tetsurou grinned when she hid herself totally behind the tree the moment she had noticed him looking at her. She was a cute little thing, unlike the tall, blonde boy, who had an expression that seemed to suggest he’d smelt something bad.

The children surrounding him looked to be around 10 years old, not that Tetsurou could tell for sure. They were all chattering around him but the loudest were a boy with a buzz cut and a smaller boy with a shock of blonde bit in his fringe. They were… 

Tetsurou managed to catch the two of them just before they fell face first on the floor from his horse. He didn’t even know how they made it up in the first place!

“Ryuunosuke! Yuu! What are you doing?”

Tetsurou turned towards the voice, with 2 giggling kids carried in his arms like they were sacks, and almost dropped them.

“Daichi-san!”

Daichi-san, whoever he was, was a vision as he strode across the grounds towards Tetsurou and the children. Those dark blue trousers did many wonderful things for those thighs, and the shirt was tight in just the right places. With the appearance of Daichi, the children stopped playing with his horse and were now surrounding him instead. 

Tetsurou stroked his horse’s neck, muttering praises at him for his patience, and tried to feel like he was a cool person. He didn’t go out in public very often, but he also didn’t hide himself like the other nobles did. He was a prince, and while it seemed like the children didn’t recognise him, he wasn’t certain that the adults couldn’t, and so didn't want to chance giving Daichi… the new owners a bad impression.

"Hello, I'm Sawamura Daichi, the headmaster. And you are…?"

"I'm Ku…" Tetsurou cleared his throat, an idea suddenly occurring to him. "Nekomata Tetsurou."

"Nekomata-san. How can I help you?" Tetsurou felt a shiver at Daichi's smile, though he couldn't exactly explain why, but he had a feeling that Daichi was not one who would easily let anyone pull the wool over his eyes.

"I heard that you were opening today." Tetsurou tried his most winning smile, but figured that he had failed when Daichi's eyes narrowed.

"Well, we've officially moved in today, if that's what you mean." Daichi gestured to the kids who had ran into the mansion.

"Ah yes, that's what I meant." Tetsurou could feel his neck growing hot at how stupid he sounded. So much for presenting a cool face to the hot headmaster. He cleared his throat again, trying to reclaim any speck of dignity that he had left.

Standing up to his full height from where he'd been leaning against his horse, Tetsurou was delighted to see that he was quite a bit taller than Daichi, a fact that the other man plainly did not enjoy that, given how his brows had furrowed slightly the moment he'd noticed the same fact.

But before Tetsurou could say dig the hole of humiliation deeper for himself, Dee, who had been behaving himself suddenly reared up, causing a few moments of panic for Tetsurou as he tried to calm his horse down. Tetsurou also noticed that Daichi had shifted away from them but he figured that the other man might just be not comfortable around horses. 

He'll try to persuade Daichi that his horse was usually a sweetheart later.

"Sorry about that, do you think we can use your stables? He's probably a bit too excited from all the attention from the children earlier on."

Daichi nodded and gestured for Tetsurou to follow him.

++++++++++

Tetsurou had never been in the mansion when it was abandoned, and now, it seemed like the place had never even been abandoned at all. Everything was clean and new, there were even the newest type of magical lamps installed.

_So they had a magic user in the place._

Not to say that magic users were rare, Nekoma was not as closed off to magic users as some other countries were, with the usual exceptions of shapeshifters; and an old tradition of thinking that crows were bad luck that was based on some old legends when the old country of Karasuno was still standing.

"Please come inside, Nekomata-san."

"Tetsurou, please." Tetsurou stepped into the room, marvelling at the decor of the room. If nothing, he would like to find out the name of the designer of the room before he left. "This is a lovely room."

"Thanks, a friend designed it. Tea? Coffee?"

"Coffee, please." Tetsurou accepted the cap and sank into the comfortable armchair, and took a small sip of the warm drink. Luckily, there was a small side table next to him for him to place his cup.

Daichi had an amused expression, as though he knew that Tetsurou didn't take less than 5 cubes of sugar and a whole lot of milk in his coffee. He took a sip of his own drink, a huge mug with steam coming out of it; Tetsurou didn't even notice when he'd poured it.

"So, once again, Nekomata-san, how can we help you?"

"Well," Tetsurou leaned back into the plush armchair and stretched out his legs, "I'll come straight to the point, Daichi-san. My employer heard about this orphanage, and would like to be a patron."

Daichi's eyebrows raised, but Tetsurou didn't think that it was actual surprise.

"I must admit, I'm surprised," Daichi took another sip, "I wasn't expecting that."

Tetsurou shrugged. "I understand that this is rather out of the blue. We've actually heard about your orphanage a while ago, but I… we hadn't been able to come out here to make your acquaintance."

"I see."

Tetsurou nodded, feeling a little uncertain at Daichi's lack of reaction; he hadn't felt so unbalanced for a long while. He had to give Daichi props though, his game face was strong. Even as he felt the uncertainty, Tetsurou also felt a rising sense of excitement. There was just something about Daichi that just got his blood racing.

He hadn't felt like this for a long time.

Ever since Tetsurou had taken a more active role as the prince, helping to start various charitable causes in the capital that he hoped would soon be implemented in the rest of the kingdom. Recently, his father had also started to request his presence more frequently at the various meetings with his advisors. Tetsurou knew that it would be a while before he took over the throne (and if he was being honest, he wanted it to be a long time later), but he also knew where his father was coming from. From what Tetsurou heard, his great-grandfather and grandfather had all died in the previous wars, leaving Tetsurou's father a young and inexperienced king. Saddened by the deaths of his family, Tetsurou's father had been left vulnerable…

That was not something that Tetsurou liked to think about.

Daichi had stayed silent all this while, the only sounds heard were the crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace. It wasn't like him to be so worked up about something. It was also unlike Tetsurou to just jump into something without making sure that he'd looked at the situation from all angles so that he'd be able to block any problems that might come his way.

"Nekomata-san…"

_One day, I'll get him to call me "Tetsurou" if it's the last thing I do._

"Tetsurou, please." Tetsurou smiled, adding a little bit of a challenge in his smile.

" _Nekomata-san_." Daichi stressed the name, his smile also holding a hint of a challenge, and definitely a whole of stubborness.

Tetsurou inclined his head, giving in for now. Hopefully he'll have plenty of other chances to get the other man to call him by his first.

"I really appreciate your offer…"

"I hear a "but" in there…"

"I will need to speak to my main sponsor before agreeing to anything." Daichi actually managed to look apologetic.

Tetsurou nodded, "I understand. I also know that it takes a lot of money to run an orphanage. I'm sure your sponsor would welcome help."

Daichi sighed, "Just between you and me, my sponsor's a bit stubborn, but I'm sure that he'll listen to reason."

Tetsurou made a sound of understanding, and stood up suddenly. He could tell that he'd surprised Daichi, even though he managed to hide his look of surprise quickly. "Why don't you show me the grounds? I really want to see what you've done to this place! Have you heard about the legends of this place?" 

Daichi must not have liked Tetsurou looming (deliberately) over him, so with a shake of his head, Daichi stood up too. "Sure, let me show you the grounds."

It was a happy Tetsurou who led his horse out a while later. Daichi had been less closed-mouth when talking about the changes that he had made to the estate. He didn't say much about the children even though Tetsurou had asked about them, but Tetsurou understood why Daichi was reluctant to say anything private to someone who was virtually a stranger and who had appeared out of nowhere.

The handshake at the end had been firm and the grip had been strong, and once again, Tetsurou got the feeling that Daichi was not one who would be easily taken in by anything. That final "I'll be seeing you again" sent a shiver up Tetsurou's spine.

Tetsurou was very sure that he'll be seeing Daichi again very soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Sugawara and Asahi didn't appear until Nekomata's horse had disappeared down the road and back into the forest. Daichi made a face at the people who were supposed to be his friends but who had betrayed him and abandoned him to handle a stressful situation all on his own. But he couldn't hold on to his anger for too long when he saw the state that Asahi was in.

Of course, that didn't mean he didn't kick Asahi in the shin when they came within striking distance.

Asahi's flinch was due more to his nervous nature rather than pain, dragonskin _was_ rather thick, and Daichi could see that his friend had shapeshifted partially so that his lower limbs were covered in scales. At Asahi's whine, Daichi contemplated kicking him again; he was feeling extremely unsettled after the meeting with Nekomata. There was something about that man that just rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was that ridiculous hairstyle, or maybe it was that constant smirk he had…

It was most certainly not because of that constant and heavy gaze that Daichi would meet every time he looked at Nekomata. That look of contemplation as though Daichi was a mouse that Nekomata was still deciding whether he wanted to eat or chase.

"I can't believe that the 2 of you left me alone with him. What happened to being a team?"

"Aww, come on, Daichi. You know why Asahi and I had to stay out of sight." Suga's grin was wide as he placed a tray on the trolley.

Daichi sniffed, but he picked up one of the sandwiches laid out on the tray, "Don't think that I'll forgive you with only this."

Suga patted Daichi on the back as he gently pushed a whimpering Asahi to the loveseat, and sat him down. "Don't be dramatic, and stop it frowning at Asahi. I just fixed the place and I don't want to do it again so soon."

"Sorry," Asashi gratefully accepted the warm mug from Suga and took a small sip of the drink.

"It's okay, he knows that you can't help it." Suga patted Asahi reassuringly on the back.

"Like you're not worse than me," Daichi grumbled softly, but Suga must have heard him from the dirty look thrown at him. Daichi held his hands up in acquiesce, and sat on the armchair next to the love seat, trying not to think that it was the same chair that Nekomata had sat on earlier on.

"Did you think his offer was legit?" Suga made a face at the cookie after nibbling on it, and gave the rest to Asahi who accepted it without a word.

"Shouyou made those," Daichi gestured at the cookies on the plate and hid his grin behind his mug at Suga's look of horror. Evidently, the nightmare of what happened someone let Shouyou bake was still fresh in Suga's mind.

"How could you have served them to a guest? What if he _died_?"

"Don't worry, Asashi, no one has died from eating Shouyou's cookies yet."

"That's not the point, Daichi!"

"Yeah, Asahi is right! There's always a first time for anything!"

"Suga!"

Daichi started chuckling at Asahi's expression at Suga's words, finally relaxing for the first time since he'd seen a stranger in his garden right where the children were.

"Anyways, I think that his offer was probably legit, although he does look a bit like a suspicious character."

"A little bit, eh?"

Daichi shrugged, not giving into to Suga's baiting, "He seemed genuinely interested in helping… but…"

"But?" Asahi was looking worried again.

"It felt like he was hiding something." Daichi sipped at his tea, suffering the bitter taste through sure force of habit. God, he hated having to take suppressants. 

"What do you think he was hiding?"

"Maybe he's a serial murderer who specialises in little children?"

"Daichi, that's horrible!"

"Don't let me hear you say that to the kids!"

Daichi threw the cookies at his friends, "I was only joking!"

"Don't play with food!"

The 3 of them continued on that way until a timid knock sounded on the door, and Hitoka's blond head popped in when Daichi called out for her to enter.

"Ki… Kiyoko-san says that it's… It's almost dinner, Daichi-san."

"Oh, look at the time!" Suga cried out cheerfully. "You're right, thanks for coming to fetch us, Hitoka-chan."

Hitoka smiled shyly before bowing and rushing away. Daichi smiled at the scene, Hitoka had come so far since the beginning when Kiyoko had first found her hiding by herself in a cave. Hitoka had said her mother gone out for a while, but from what Kiyoko said, Hitoka's mother had been gone for almost a week, and it didn't seem like she would return anytime soon. The area that Kiyoko had found Hitoka at was also notorious for being dangerous for folk like them and they had all feared for the worst. Kiyoko had managed to persuade Hitoka to come with them, by promising to leave a note for the mother as to their whereabouts.

As far as Daichi knows, Kiyoko still goes back to the cave to see if there were any signs of Hitoka's mother, but so far she had always came back empty handed.

The first few months that Hitoka was with them was bad; she was a shy girl and they didn't have any other girls her age to ease her into living with others. Luckily for them, another boy her age, Shouyou, who was a cheerful boy who made friends easily, was around, and slowly, they had brought her out of her shell. She was still prone to being easily startled, but she was handling things a lot better than before.

"We'll talk about this more when Kiyoko can join us," Daichi drained the last of his drink and stood up. 

Dinner was a lively affair, as one filled with numerous children could be. But a few children started to feel a little uneasy when bedtime came, it _was_ their first night in a new house, and they would have heard the legends when they went to the market earlier on, so Daichi left Suga, Kiyoko, and Asahi (who, by dint of his size was there more for intimidation purposes than reassurance… But since he was meant to intimidate whatever bad thing that was around, he was actually quite reassuring) to sooth the kids and put them to bed. They agreed to talk over things over breakfast and Daichi left them to their duties while he went back to the study to sort out his papers.

Daichi was still sorting out his things even as the fire had burnt out to embers. It was only when Suga poked his head into the room to remind him of the time that Daichi went to bed. For some reason, Daichi didn't feel tired at all. A strange restlessness came over him as he lay on his bed, trying to force himself to sleep. He kept and turning but sleep didn't come. Finally, Daichi slipped out of his bed. If he can't sleep, maybe he can get some exercise and that'll tire him out enough for him to fall asleep. 

Daichi stretched and pulled off his shirt, enjoying the coolness of the night on his skin. Taking a few deep breaths, he stepped up onto the balustrade and spread his arms, willing his body to change. As soon as he felt the change start, Daichi stepped off into thin air.

Ever since he was young, Daichi enjoyed the sense of freedom he felt when he was in the air. He had been so terrified when he took his first flight; unsure of whether his young wings would be able to handle him, or whether he would even know how to move about in his new body. He had been jealous about Asahi‘s other form, thinking that a dragon was so much cooler than a crow; but when Daichi realised that he was able to shift and fly whenever he could, he stopped feeling bad.

Well, that was when they were younger. As Daichi grew older, the number of restrictions placed on the villagers increased. It wasn't like he didn't understand why. Shapeshifters were generally not welcomed in the various kingdoms, and even those that didn't have kill-on-sight laws were barely tolerant to them. Daichi had never understood why they were so persecuted, and the elders were extremely tightlipped when it was something to do with the history of their people. So Daichi had vowed to find out the truth when he grew older.

He scoffed as he soared into the night sky, a black shadow against the stars. Things always did have a way of changing.

A light came on in one of the upper rooms, and Daichi swooped back down to the mansion. Suga was awake; and since Daichi was awake too, he might as well go disturb his friend. Daichi landed gracefully on his own balcony, changing back to his human form, and pulled on his night clothes. But when he went past Suga's room, he could no longer see the light from under the door, and there were no sounds coming from inside it. Disappointed, Daichi continued walking until he was at the study where he had his meeting with Nekomata earlier on.

That man was really hard to read. True, Daichi didn't feel any ill intentions from the other man, and by all accounts, Nekomata was sincere in his offer of assistance. But Daichi couldn't help but still feel that he was hiding something from him.

Well, it wasn't like Daichi expected him to be _completely_ honest, and hopefully, this wouldn't come back and bite him in the ass.

Sitting in the armchair that Nekomata had sat on earlier, Daichi pulled his letter pad onto his lap. Usually he'd do the work properly at his desk, but tonight, with the growing restlessness in him, Daichi just wanted to curl up in a comfortable position. He started on his letter to Keishin, one of the villagers who had supported and helped Daichi set up the orphanage. It was Keishin who passed the money and the title deed to the house secretly. It was well known that Daichi's decision was not popular amongst the elders, but Daichi was stubborn when it counts, and he could tell that the village was stifling for the children.

And that was not including what some of the villagers had done to the human children.

Daichi was just grateful that Keishin and his grandfather, old man Ukaii, believed in him enough that they were willing to help him. It was more than what any inexperienced and young person could have expected.

As Daichi started on his letter, his nose started twitching. At first, he scrunched it up, hoping that it'll be enough, but it continued to twitch. He rubbed at it, but it just made things worse. Daichi shifted as he rubbed at his nose harder, not understanding why his nose was suddenly like that when he smelled something. It was subtle, a sweet scent of grass in the early morning, it was nothing that he had ever smelled before and Daichi could feel himself chasing after it. He turned his face into the back of the armchair, where it seemed that the scent was coming from.

His head in a haze, Daichi let the letterpad fall to the ground as he turned his body around, until he was kneeling on the chair, face pressed against the armchair. His mouth was opened as he tried to catch as much of the scent as he could. It was only when he realised that one of his hand was rubbing against his crotch that Daichi came to his senses. He fell off the chair with a loud thump, and scooted away from it on his butt as far as he could. He couldn't believe what was happening.

Daichi scrambled to the trolley to make his suppressant, horrified to realise that there was a faint feeling of want deep in his belly. This was not supposed to happen!

Yes, Daichi as an omega, but he had never gone into heat before. He actually didn't need to take any suppressants, but Daichi really didn't want to leave anything to chance since he had left the village and was away from any actual help. Asashi, Suga, and Kiyoko were all betas, so they didn't have to worry about that. The children were too young to present, and so Daichi wasn't too worried about them. 

So what had changed? Daichi was a _bond omega_ , he had never had his heat, and he had never been affected by an alpha's rut. He would never be affected by the usual cycles of heat and rut until he's met his bondmate. A mystical person who is supposed to only be for him and no one else. Daichi had resigned himself to the fact that he would never meet his bondmate; the world was so large and he had so many kids to take care of. And truth be told, it grated on his nerves a little, this thing about fate and destiny.

So what _had_ changed? Daichi thought hard. True, the move had been difficult but he had been to the mansion numerous times, and nothing like this had ever happened before. And before today, they had never gotten any visitors… 

Daichi stared in horror at the armchair. The armchair that _Nekomata_ had sat on today. 

No, no, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening.

Ignoring the pit of worry (and something else that he refused to acknowledge), Daichi got back onto his feet and rushed back to his bedroom. He'll attempt to sleep and everything will be fine the next day. He was sure of it. There was nothing that a good night's sleep can't cure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original plan was for 8 chapters so I can end this on 1st Jan... but *looks at unfinished draft* I don't think that'll be possible. *sweats* Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and thank you for the kind comments <3
> 
> Also, I forgot, this whole thing is Not Betaed (™) So please do point out any weird parts or mistakes!

He didn't get a good night's sleep at all.

It was an exhausted Daichi with deep shadows under his eyes who greeted his friends in the kitchen that morning. He hadn't felt so tired since that week where he had a nightmare for every night of the week of the scene where Hinata had knocked the wig off the head one of the village elders. Even now, he jumps if he happened to see something small and black flying out of the corner of his eye. 

"Are you okay, Daichi?" Asahi's worried voice had Dachi lifting his eyes from his coffee where he had been contemplating the milky swirls. 

"Asashi is right, you don't look good, Sawamura."

Great, even Shimizu was now worried for him.

"Was that you I felt yesterday flying outside?" Suga yawned and nodded his thanks at Asahi when he placed a bowl on the table in front of him.

Daichi stirred his coffee again to give him some time to think of what he should say to his friends. He really didn't know how he could explain his situation to his friends. They knew about his situation about his status as an omega unable to mate with others (the nastier villagers called him an "incomplete omega". As though an omega's only role was to mate and give birth), but how was he to explain that he _may_ have actually found his bondmate? 

_Hey, I don't know how to say this, but you know that guy who came yesterday? Nekomata? Human? Tall? Weird hair? Good-looking… No, no need to give Suga more ammunition against me… So, you know that guy? I think he's my bondmate._

"You think Nekomata is good-looking?!"

"He's your bondmate, Daichi? But… but… he's a human, isn't he?"

"Congratulations, Sawamura."

"Wait, what?" Daichi looked up from his coffee in shock, "Shit, did I say that out loud?"

"Yeah, you did, Daichi." Suga is laughing even as he tried to eat his porridge. "How shocked are you?"

"Stop teasing. It's a big shock, okay?" Daichi grumbled as he tossed his napkin onto Suga's head.

"How… How did you know that he was your bondmate?" 

"I assumed he found out the same way most people do," If Shimizu was shocked by Daichi's declaration, she didn't let it show on her face as she calmly ate her breakfast.

Daichi flushed, now that they were at this point, he was a little embarrassed to explain how he got the impression that Nekomata was his bondmate. His embarrassed expression started Suga on another round of laughter. 

"Well, I was feeling restless yesterday night, and decided to take a flight, when I saw the lights go on in Suga's room, I thought I might go talk to him. But when I went to your door, Suga, the lights were out, so I thought you had gone back to bed. Then, I decided to catch up on some paperwork and so I went to the study. I sat on the armchair that Nekomata sat on earlier, and I… erm… had a… erm." Daichi cleared his throat and took a big gulp of his coffee. 

"Daichi! We all sit on that chair!"

Coughing because he had choked on his coffee, Daichi waved Asahi's worried patting away. "Geez Suga, watch your timing. I didn't do anything on that chair!"

"Well, it's your own fault, Daichi. You were being extremely misleading." Suga huffed.

"I was not! If you'd stop interrupting me…"

"I wasn't interrupting you! You're just really bad at telling stories!"

"I am not! I…"

"Is it okay if we finish this before the children wake up?" Shimizu's soft voice cut through Daichi's and Suga's budding argument.

Daichi sighed, he really should stop procrastinating. "Like I was saying, I had a reaction. But it wasn't a full blown onset of heat though, but… just… there seemed to be a build up to something. But I took my suppressants and hurried back to bed."

Asahi winced in sympathy at Daichi's tired sigh, "Well, nothing's confirmed yet, right? You don't really know for sure that he's your bondmate, right?"

"I'm not even sure how I can confirm it." Daichi finished the rest of his coffee. "It might have just been an anomaly."

"Maybe Sawamura you're just tired from handling everything for the move? It's been a few exhausting months." Shimizu pushed her chair back to stand. "I should get breakfast for the children started."

"True," Daichi stood at the same time, thinking that he would go back to the study to finish up his correspondence, despite a strong urge to avoid the armchair in that room.

"I think you might be able to find out even faster than you expected, Daichi." Suga's hand on his shoulder stopped Daichi from going off.

"Wha…" Before Daichi would question Suga, a low chime sounded.

Someone had passed through the front gates.

++++++++++

It was ridiculously early, Tetsurou knew this. But he'd been up since dawn, and he was so jittery when Yaku came in that his friend kicked him out to "enjoy the day" before he had even finished his breakfast. He had discussed the situation with Blackbird with them the night before. While they understood why Tetsurou had kept his name a secret, Yaku teased Tetsurou about his fascination with the headmaster, saying that it was not like Tetsurou to be so obsessed with one certain person.

Tetsurou had tried to protest, but he realised that he had no leg to stand on. He _was_ fascinated with Sawamura Daichi, and he had no idea why. Yes, he was very interested in helping out with the orphanage; it was something that he had wanted wanted to do since a long time ago, but he was also honest enough with himself to admit that he really wanted to get to know the headmaster of the orphanage better.

There was just something about the other man.

So, that's why he was being so rude and appearing at the orphanage so ridiculously early.

Part of Tetsurou did wonder whether he was being too forward about this, but he was really sincere in his want to help with the orphanage so hopefully his sincerity would shine through enough for Sawamura to see. He'd actually spent most of his evening after returning home working up an initial plan for how he would help the Blackbird. It was a rough initial plan that he hoped to work out more details with Sawamura if the other man was agreeable to it.

His horse nickered as Tetsurou led him up to the main doors. Unlike yesterday, the grounds were quiet; likely the kids were not up yet. The adults might not even be up yet. He was _that_ early. 

Maybe he should go back and come back again at a more appropriate time. A rare flash of insecurity had Tetsurou hesitating his steps, but before he could get back onto his horse, the front door opened and Sawamura Daichi stepped out.

It was not funny how fast his heart started pounding even as Tetsurou kept his expression as neutral as possible. Tetsurou stood at the bottom of the steps, reins in his hand, and tried hard not to smirk at Sawamura's confused expression.

"Nekomata-san… good morning." 

"Morning, Sa'amura-san." Tetsurou added a small wave, lips twitching as Sawamura's expression went from confusion to slight annoyance and finally to neutral when he reached the last step. But Sawamura didn't continue down, and with him staying on the last step, Tetsurou noticed that Sawamura was able to look him right in the eyes without tilting his head.

Well, without tilting too much, anyway.

"How can I help you, Nekomata-san? I believe I told you yesterday that I still had to speak with my patron?"

Tetsurou felt his neck warming up at Sawamura's question. He hadn't felt so unsure of himself since the first time he'd accidentally spilt milk on a visiting noble's daughter. They'd laughed it off in the end, but Yaku had teased Tetsurou about it for an afternoon. Even now, Tetsurou avoided milk whenever he could even as he also teased Yaku for chugging milk whenever he could. Where did his friend ever get the idea that drinking milk would help him grow taller, they may never know, but from Tetsurou's point of view, he didn't think that milk was helping.

Sawamura clearing his throat broke Tetsurou out of his reverie.

_Get it together, Tetsurou, or else he's going to think that you're the weirdo like Yaku always says you are._

"Morning, Sa'amu… Ah-choo!"

Tetsurou rubbed at his nose, surprised by the sudden sneeze. He sniffed, and he suddenly could smell something… a faint scent that he couldn't really identify but it reminded him of the woods on a sunny day. It was subtle but sweet, and Tetsurou felt himself trying to discreetly take a deeper sniff.

"Are you okay?" Sawamura raised a hand as though he meant to touch Tetsurou but he aborted the action half way. 

Tetsurou nodded, a finger rubbing at this nose, and he noted that Sawamura had shifted a little away. Maybe the other man was worried about catching something from Tetsurou?

"I'm fine, sorry about that." Tetsurou reached into one of the sachets hanging off his horse and pulled out a stack of documents. "Apologies for disturbing you so early, but I have quite a few appointments this afternoon, and feared I might not have the time to visit you in the next few days."

Sawamura blinked at the parchments that Tetsurou was holding on to, then he smiled slightly. "There really was no hurry, Nekomata-san. We'll be here for a while.

"I believe in striking while the iron is still hot, Sawamura-san."

Just as Kuroo thought that he might get chased away without even an offer of a drink, the heavy doors of the orphanage opened slightly, and a head of silver hair popped out.

"What are you doing out here, Daichi? Shouldn't you invite our guest in?"

Tetsurou thought he heard Sawamura mutter something like, "Oh my skies, Suga" as the other man turned to look at who Tetsurou assumed was a friend. But his expression a blank one when he turned back to Tetsurou.

"Come on, let's get to the stables and then we can talk in the house."

++++++++++

It took all of Daichi's willpower to not lean forward and bury his face into Nekomata's nape, where the scent glands would be if he had been a shapeshifter.

_But he isn't a shapeshifter, and he most certainly is not your bondmate. He can't be._

Daichi was sure that Nekomata was a human, and despite the unusual situation last night, there was no way that he was his bondmate. It was virtually unheard of for a shapeshifter to have a human as a partner, let alone a bondmate. The last time it had happened, the shapeshifter in question had been banished from their village, and had disappeared, never to be heard from again. Legends has it that she had been found out by humans and were captured and thrown into their dungeons.

To further confirm Daichi's suspicions, his body did not react at all to Nekomata, even if he had stood close enough to smell the same fresh scent as he had the night before. So maybe Daichi was just stressed and his body just decided to act out like that. 

Daichi vowed to sleep earlier that night.

Daichi had no idea why Nekomata was here so early in the morning, but like Suga said, it would be rude to not invite him; although Daichi did also think that Nekomata was the rude one in the first place. Who comes over to people's places so early in the morning? The walk to the stables was silent as Daichi really had no idea how he was supposed to react to the other man.

"I really do apologise, Sawamura-san."

Daichi leaned against the door of the stables while Nekomata settled in horse in. Normally animals were alright with Daichi, but this particular horse was a little skittish around him. Daichi didn't want to stress the horse too much, and Nekomata seemed to understand. He carefully brushed the horse down with the brush Daichi had passed him, and with a few soft and gentle words, Nekomata left to hose to stand next to Daichi; a slightly sheepish expression on his face.

"I know it's no excuse, and that I really should have sent a messenger, but I really wanted to speak to you about this personally."

"There was no rush, Nekomata-san. You make it sound like I have a lot of other offers to consider." Daichi relented to smile slightly at Nekomata. Regardless of his weirdness, and Daichi's odd reactions to the other man, he could appreciate the enthusiastic offer to help out with the orphanage.

Too bad that Daichi would have to find a way to reject Nekomata.

And he would have to do it in a way that wouldn't arouse too much suspicion. With outside help came outside influence. It wouldn't do for humans to realise that this orphanage was full of shapeshifters. What if Nekomata suggested that he opened the orphanage to other /human\? That would be a disaster. Quite a few of their younglings were still unable to control their shifting, and if word got around that there was an orphanage with young shapeshifters, it would spell trouble for them all.

Daichi could feel the headache starting to build behind his eyes again as he thought about all the problems that he might face. He'd thought about all of that when they had first moved here, but the appearance of Nekomata brought with him a whole new host of potential problems.

Nekomata was obviously from a rich family, and from Daichi's experience, rich meant power. Even if Daichi agreed to receiving aid from Nekomata's master, the agreement would have to make it clear that neither Nekomata nor his master would have any say in the running of the home. 

"What can I say, Sa'amura, I'm just really impatient sometimes."

"Somehow, I doubt that, Nekomata-san. You really don't strike me as the impulsive type."

"Oh? And what type do I strike you as?"

Nekomata's smirk was all sorts of challenging, and some thing in Daichi rose up, wanting to see if he could knock that look off the other man's face. He rubbed his chin, pretending to think.

"The cunning type?"

Nekomata's obviously fake but very loud and dramatic gasp made Daichi's lip twitch, and he forced his mouth to not spread into a smile. 

"You wound me, Sa'amura!"

"Well, what else would you call someone who would appear without a by-your-leave so early in the morning if not for the sole purpose of trying to catch the occupants of the house unawares?"

"The type that wakes up early! Unlike some others whom I shall not name!"

"I'll have you know, Nekomata-san, that I am a very early riser." A lie, but Nekomata did not need to know that.

"He's lying to you. Daichi is NOT a morning person."

Now it was Daichi's turn to gasp, "Suga! You're supposed to be _my_ friend!"

"Morning everyone, I'm Nekomata Tetsurou. I really do apologise for my early hours and if I had disturbed you."

"Please sit, Nekomata-san. Don't worry about Asahi, he doesn't bite."

"Not like this, he doesn't." Daichi muttered under his breath but he was not soft enough because Nekomata turned to him.

"What?"

"Hmm?" Daichi widened his eyes a little, and cocked his head a little to the side, trying to project an air of innocence. It must have worked, because all Nekomata did was to narrow his eyes at him before turning his attention back to Suga, the traitor, and the rest.

After introductions were made, and Asahi had poured Daichi another cup of coffee, and Shimizu had actually served eggs and bread to Nekomata, Suga turned his attention to fully to Nekomata. He must have timed his question for when Daichi had just taken a sip of his coffee.

"So, Nekomata-san, I must ask. What are your intentions with our Daichi here?"

Daichi choked on his coffee for the 2nd time that morning, "Suga!"

"What?! You don't get that many callers and it is my responsibility to see that you don't get cheated!"

"I'm not going to get cheated! Besides, that's not why he's here!"

"Daichi, oh Daichi, you innocent thing. Why else would he be here so early then? Nobody is THAT enthusiastic about doing charity work, are they, Nekomata-san?"

Daichi had to give it to Nekomata. While he had been all friendly and joking with Daichi earlier on, he didn't flinch under what Daichi knew was a very sharp look from Suga. Nekomata just calmly put his cup on the table and he pulled out the stack documents that he showed Daichi earlier.

"I know that this be very sudden, and I hope that I don't come across as being too forward. But I am very sincere in my want to help with Blackbird. And to be very honest, this was something that I had wanted to do for a very long time."

"Help out Blackbird?" Asashi was understandably confused. "How could you? We've just moved here recently."

Nekomata shook his head, "No, not Blackbird specifically. An orphanage. Can I be honest here?" Nekomata looked around the table, and took a deep breath when everyone nodded. "I've been looking at ways to open an orphanage for the longest time. But it's not something that I could do, even if I were able to get the money to do so. And I couldn't interfere in the orphanages that were already operating."

"Why not?"

"There are not many but the orphanages in the city already have certain nobles as their sponsors, and even if it was for charity, nobles do not like to share."

"But… why an orphanage?"

"My best friends were abandoned as babies, and from what I heard, they didn't have a good time as children in the children's home too. I wished I could help more, but it's difficult for me to get away from my duties. And to be frank, I do not want to run an orphanage, but I would like to be able to trust the people who run it."

"What do you mean by that?" Shimizu's question had Daichi rising an eyebrow.

"I can't tell you who my master is, suffice to say that he is a powerful person in the capital."

"And you're worried that others may use the orphanage as a way to influence him?"

"Something like that. I mean, I… my master won't stop you from accepting aid from others, definitely, but…"

"Since we're new here, our ties to the nobility is not as established as the others?"

Nekomata seemed a little relieved that they managed to catch on so quickly. "Yes. But, well, even if you were, it's not something that I can help, right?"

"I assume this means that you've also checked up on us before we moved in?"

"Naturally."

Daichi involuntarily stiffened when he heard Nekomata's answer to Shimizu's question. "What do you mean by that?"

 _Crap._ Daichi knew he had made a mistake when Nekomata turned to him with a confused look. "Nothing much. I just made sure that none of the other nobles had spoken to you… Why? Is there something I should know?"

"Nekomata-san," Suga's light voice had Nekomata turning from Daichi, releasing him from the intense stare. "I'm sure you understand why we're a little leery at this offer of aid from you, grateful as we may be."

"I understand."

"And while I'm sure we don't doubt your sincerity, you must also understand that this isn't something that we can decide in one morning."

"Of course, of course! I do not mean to rush you." Nekomata pushed the stack of parchments towards Daichi. "Like I said earlier, I am only here now because I was afraid that I may not have the time to visit earlier. My purpose of visit this morning was to pass the agreement that my friends and I have done up for your consideration. You don't have to make a decision now, but I hope this shows you how serious I am in my offer."

Daichi ignored the wide eye look Suga as throwing at him from behind Nekomata, keeping his attention on the messy haired man. He did look extremely sincere, and he hadn't given Daichi any reason to not trust him… yet. He sighed.

"Nekomata-san. While I cannot guarantee an answer soon but I can promise that we will carefully consider your offer, and we will definitely give you a reason as soon as we can."

There, that was the best that Daichi could offer at the moment. If Nekomata was unable to accept this, and insisted on being pushy, then Daichi was going to reject him then and there.

"I understand. I look forward to your answer, Sawamura-san."

Footsteps thudding in the hallway above them told Daichi that the kids were up, and would soon be clamouring for their breakfast.

"Even though we can't give you an answer today, why don't you join us for breakfast, Nekomata-san?" Daichi offered as an olive branch. "You can meet the kids and see whether you still would want to help out after that."

Nekomata's laughter was really, really, really weird.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I meant to post earlier! In any case, here's the newest chapter! I hope you enjoy!

Tetsurou groaned as the sun shone right on his face. He'd fallen asleep by the balcony again; and if he didn't move back to his bed, he'd have a very annoyed Yaku on his hands. He sat up, all ready to be assuaged by the ache that had been ravaging his body the past week, and was stunned to find that it seemed that he was fine now.

Physically, that is.

With a hand pressing against his lower back, Tetsurou gingerly got up and made his way to the bed. He carefully sat on the bed, relieved that the bedsheets no longer felt like it was too much for his body. He wasn't really able to remember much of the last three days. All he could remember was getting home from visiting Blackbird that day, and getting swamped with various meetings with some visiting royals from Nohebi; those always required his full attention and wits. Daishou was an ass to deal with, but luckily his fiancee, Mika, was with him, so at least Tetsurou had some fun. It wasn't until the end of the day that it happened.

_Tetsurou didn't collapse until he was in his room. Everything was fine and all of a sudden, Tetsurou found himself shivering on the floor. His body was hot, hotter than he had ever felt it, and he found himself, for some reason, growing hard. He literally crawled to his bed; but his skin felt so sensitive, and he was so hot that he couldn't force himself under the covers. It took all his willpower to not press down against the bed to relieve some of the ache he felt in his lower body. Tetsurou flipped over to his back, and with his usual sense of humour, looked down at the tent in his trousers. His clothes felt all itchy against his skin, and all he wanted to do now was to strip. But he couldn't do that, Yaku and the chambermaids were going to arrive soon, and while they all had seen him in various states of undress, unlike other nobles, Tetsurou was always careful to keep certain private things private once he grew up._

_As expected, Yaku soon entered his room after knocking, but he told the chambermaids to stay outside just like he had requested. Yaku's brows were furrowed with concern that he seldom showed outwardly._

_"What have you done to yourself now, your highness?"_

_"I think Daishou cursed me." Tetsurou groaned, the urge to touch himself growing with every second._

_"He cursed you with a constant erection?" Yaku came back from the door, presumably after telling the chambermaids to leave, and maybe to call for Kai. "I'm not sure if that could be considered a curse."_

_Tetsurou groaned again, "It is if there isn't a way to… to… to handle it." He gestured helplessly at his crotch._

_Tetsurou whined a little at Yaku's huff, but since he could too could see the humour of the situation, he decided not to plot revenge on Yaku. "Yaku-saaaan."_

_"Gross, don't call me in that way." Yaku's hand was cool on Tetsurou's forehead, and the valet hissed as he felt how hot Tetsurou was. "You're burning up, where is that physician."_

_"Awwww… You do care." Tetsurou gasped as sensations filled his body, along with a strong urge to go towards the west. Something was telling his body that he needs to go towards the west._

_A brief knock and the door opened to reveal Kai, with Kenma and the royal physician Nekomata right on his heels._

_"What did Kuro do to himself this time?"_

_"Kenmaaaaa." Tetsurou whined at his best friend, trying to look as pathetic as he could. His best friend just narrowed his eyes at Tetsurou before moving to sit on his usual armchair, but his gaze never left Kuroo._

_"Your highness." Nekomata usual smiling face was tinged with a bit of concern. "How are you feeling?"_

_"Not too good, sensei."_

_"Do you recall where and what you did today?"_

_"Nothing much, I visited the orphanage this morning, and then spent the day back here with the Nohebi royals."_

_Nekomata's eyes sharpened, but Tetsurou didn't notice. "The orphanage, you say? Did you pass by anything weird or meet up with anyone… unusual?"_

_"No? Not that I can recall." Tetsurou felt hot and cold at the same time, the feeling in his groin taking up all of his attention even as the physician held on his head to look into his eyes._

_"Your highness," Nekomata sounded a little amused, which was too mean if you asked Tetsurou. Who would be so mean to their own student? "What is ailing your highness isn't something too serious, and should work itself out in a few days."_

_"So I won't die from this super libido?"_

_"No, you won't." Nekomata forced Tetsurou to drink something, even though everything within him was rebelling about having something placed in his mouth. "This will help, but I would prefer not to keep you unconscious for the next few days. You just have to endure it."_

_Tetsurou whined as a cool and sweet liquid went down his throat. He really hoped that Nekomata was right; that he won't actually die with a raging hard on. It happened to one of his ancestors, and Tetsurou really didn't want to go down in history as the young prince who died rutting alone against his bed, That was just too pathetic._

_But something in him was also rebelling against the idea of finding a partner to ease the pain._

_"Rest Tetsurou. We'll check in on you and make sure you don't actually die." Kenma's soft voice washed over Tetsurou, and he found the strength to grin at his best friend._

_"Thanks, Kenma."_

_"Now, let's give Tetsurou some privacy. Kai, Yaku, follow me. I'll give you some instructions."_

_Nekomata stood away from the bed, casting one more look at the prone Tetsurou. "This would go easier if you have a partner, you know."_

_Tetsurou managed to shake his head, his answer a groan. "No. Do. This. Alone."_

_Nekomata nodded again, and soon, Tetsurou was left alone in his room, nothing to distract him from the heat in his body...//_

_The last memory Tetsurou had before the waves of desire consumed him were the worried expressions of his friends as they left his room. Seemed Nekomata was true to his word. Tetsurou didn't die from whatever was ailing him, and now that the haze had cleared from his head, he felt really gross. Sweat and other bodily fluids covered his skin, and the last time he'd washed his hair was 3 days ago. His bed was in no better condition given what he had been doing on it. So with a groan, Tetsurou shambled to the doors. Hopefully, someone (preferable Yaku) was there._

_He'd learnt later that Yaku had spent most of the time barricading his doors from the various wellwishers; he'd even prevented the king from entering, stating that Nekomata had left really strict instructions not to let anyone in._

_"Your highness!" Yaku looked up from his position from opposite the doors, and hurriedly rushed across the corridor. "Are you okay?"_

_"I've been better." Tetsurou croaked out. "Could you prepare a bath, and maybe a big breakfast?"_

_Yaku must have been extremely worried, if he could look so relieved just from hearing Tetsurou's requests. The prince made a mental note to force Yaku to go with him to the marketplace sometime soon. His valet enjoyed the marketplace, but rarely went if Tetsurou didn't also go._

_After a long bath where he washed his hair three times, Tetsurou finally felt more like his usual self as he sat to the scrumptious breakfast that Yaku had prepared for him. There was so much food that Tetsurou thought he saw the legs of the sturdy oak table bow. As he sipped his tea, there was a knock on his door. Kai appeared first, as usual, followed by Kenma, and…_

_"Nekomata-sensei. Thank you for taking time to see me." Tetsurou gestured for everyone to take a seat, piling a plate high with food and setting it in front of Kenma while ignoring the glare his best friend showed him._

_"Your high… Tetsurou-kun," Nekomata's smile never wavered even as Tetsurou narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm glad that you're feeling better."_

_"Thank you again."_

_Tetsurou waited till Nekomata had taken a sip of his tea before he started on what had been bothering him._

_“So, sensei…”_

_“I guess you’re curious as to what happened to you?”_

_“You could say that… I assume that it’s due to my… 'special constitutio'?"_

_Nekomata nodded. "You know that I've never kept anything from you. I think what happened last week was a sign that you might have met someone who triggered a change in your body."_

_"A change? What does that mean?"_

_Rubbing his chin, Nekomata gave Tetsurou his usual smile, wide but also full of mystery, "I can't really say."_

_Knowing how the royal physician was sometimes, Tetsurou didn't press for more answers. He was patient, and he trusted that Nekomata wouldn't keep anything from him if it actually endangered Tetsurou's life. That didn't mean that Tetsurou wouldn't go to the library soon to see if he could find any clues as to what his current situation was._

_But today, all Tetsurou wanted to do was to take another long bath, preferably in the bathing rooms and not in his bathtub. He really wanted to relax and stretch his legs out._

_And he was filled with a strong urge to visit Blackbird._

+++++++++

It had been a week since Nekomata's last visit. Daichi was relieved that the other man seemed to have finally accepted that Daichi wouldn't have been able to give any answer soon, but a small part of him was a little disappointed. Which made no sense at all, they had only met each other twice, there was no reason for Daichi to miss that man.

It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that for the past week, Daichi had been experiencing some sort of discomfort every night. They were not full blown heats, but Daichi still had to make sure that he did was the one who did the laundry everyday. He was certain that Suga suspected something, but his friend was keeping quiet about things for the moment.

In any case, the kids were keeping him so busy that he really did not have the time nor energy to spend on thinking about certain people with ridiculous hairstyles and challenging smirks on their handsome faces.

Daichi shook his head in an attempt to clear it; if he didn't, the kids were liable to take advantage of his momentary lapse of attention. He scowled at the fireplace, trying to get back his earlier concentration. He still had quite a few correspondence to reply to; including a few new offers to provide assistance to Blackbird. They would all have to be checked out, and Daichi would have to make the decision whether to accept their help or not. Most orphanages would be more than happy to receive so many offers of assistance, but Blackbird was a little special; and the fact that these offers only came after Nekomata's visit was a little suspicious.

Just who was Nekomata?

Because all of Daichi's instincts are telling him that somehow Nekomata was somehow involved in all of that, if not directly, then he was indirectly the influence of the new offers coming in.

The low chime signalling that someone had crossed the gates had Daichi scrunching up his nose in irritation. He really didn't need the distraction right now, thank you very much. Maybe Suga or Shimizu can be the ones to entertain their guests today. He //really// needed to get all this paperwork done.

"Daichi-san!!! Daichi-san!!! Suga-san says that you have a guest and you need to go to the breakfast room now!"

"Daichi-saaan!"

"Ryuunosuke, Yuu, how many times do I have to tell you about using your indoor voices when you're indoors?" Daichi sighed in exasperation at the two boys at the door to his study. 

"Sorry Daichi-san!"

Patting their heads when he walked by them (he could never stay angry at them for too long), Daichi made his way to the little room where Suga insisted on calling the breakfast room; even though they have never had any meals in it before. It was a cozy room, with wide windows that curved and looked out towards the gardens and let in the sun in. The 2 boys followed behind, chattering in excitement. 

"Why do you think he came back?" Ryuunosuke asked Yuu in what he obviously thought was a whisper, seeing as how he had cupped his mouth and was talking rather close to Yuu's ear.

"I don't know, Ryuu! Maybe he wanted to see Daichi-san again? That's what he said to Suga-san." Yuu, on the other hand, had no compunctions about using his usual voice.

"Why would he want to see Daichi-san again?"

Ouch. Sometimes kids really don't think before they speak.

"Do you think," Ryuunosuke's voice held a tone of disbelief that reminded Daichi of the fishmongers wives as they exchanged gossip in the market. "Do you think that he's here to _take advantage of Daichi-san_?"

It took all of Daichi's willpower to not burst out laughing, but from their chatter, Daichi had an inkling as to who might have arrived. His guess was confirmed when he was greeted with the braying laughter of Nekomata as he opened the door.

"Daichi! You're here!" Daichi could hear the "finally" even though Suga hadn't said it.

"Suga, what have you been telling our guest?" Daichi waited for Nekomata to sit back straight up from his bent posture before greeting him. "Nekomata-san. Good afternoon. To what do we owe this pleasure?

Nekomata wiped at the edges of his eye, "Good afternoon, Sawamura-san. Suga-san, you. Are. A. _Delight_."

"He's more of a menace, if you asked me." Daichi groused as he settled into the chair opposite Nekomata.

"Well this delightful menace will leave the both of you to your business. I'll see you again, Neko…"

"Ah… ah…" Nekomata shook a finger at Suga who grinned evilly at Daichi.

"I'll see you again, Tetsurou-san."

And with that, Suga left the room with a cheery laugh, leaving Daichi alone with the last person whom he wanted to be left alone with. Daichi wished he'd taken a mug of his suppressant with him to the room, even though he didn't feel anything at the moment; and even if his body were to react to Nekomata right then and there, it would have been too late for the suppressants anyway. 

Luckily for Daichi, his body was behaving itself.

"Nekomata-san," Daichi settled back into his chair. "I thought we agreed that you would wait for my response?"

"We did, I just thought to try my luck to see if there were any progress."

"I really don't like being pressed, you know."

Nekomata's smirk was both apologetic and… well, smirky. Daichi had no idea that you could even make a smirk apologetic.

"I do realise that I may seem a little impatient, but, I do get that way with things that I'm really enthusiastic about. It annoys my… master sometimes."

"I assume you get your way very often too?"

Now it was Daichi's turn to smirk at Nekomata who was rubbing at the back of neck with a slightly sheepish expression.

"Maybe?" Nekomata's lips were tilted up slightly on one side, giving him a boyish look.

Daichi decided to let him off the hook for now; somehow he was in a pretty good mood and he didn't feel like spoiling it at the moment. Daichi glanced out the windows, smiling as he noticed a flock of blackbirds flying in the distance. He felt warm, his head was a little fuzzy, and he felt so comfortable that all he wanted to do was to curl up into his chair all wrapped up in his thickest sweater.

"Sawamura-san? Sawamura-san? Are you okay?"

"Hmm?" Daichi turned his head languidly, feeling all boneless. Ah, he had a guest.

"Hey," Nekomata's smile was really quite gentle, and his hand on his cheek was big and warm.

"Hello," Daichi nuzzled his face into the face, Nekomata smelled really good. "You're here."

Nekomata huffed, as though he was amused. "Yes, I am. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine?" Nekomata's hand was really warm, and Daichi wanted to feel that hand all over his body.

"Nekomata-san, I hope you have a good explanation for this."

"Suga?"

"Daichi? What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on? What do you mean, Suga?" Daichi snuggled deeper into the armchair, laying his head on his arms that he'd folded onto of the arms of the armchair, and he looked up at his friend. Why did Suga look so worried? Daichi reached out a hand to hold onto one of Nekomata's, playing around with the other man's fingers. They were long, bony, and totally calloused differently from Daichi's. He rubbed the index finger, suddenly overcome with a strong interest in it. The joints were a little knobby, to be honest, but Daichi was totally fascinated by them.

When Nekomata tried to tug his hand away, Daichi held tightly onto his hand, and scowled at him.

"No."

"Daichi, you have to let go."

"No." Daichi tugged at Nekomata, filled with an urge to feel Nekomata closer to him, wanting… no, needing to have his fill of Nekomata's scent, which he discovered was growing stronger by the minute. Luckily for him, Nekomata was cooperating by shifting closer to Daichi. 

Just as Nekomata was close enough that Daichi could see his adam's apple moving, someone thrust something under his nose. Daichi reared back, the bitter smell shocking him, and all the could do was to cover his nose.

"Ack!"

"Daichi, drink this!" Suga waved the mug of foul liquid in front of Daichi, who shifted his head away from it.

"Suga, no." He tried to push the mug away but his friend was adamant.

"Drink this first, Daichi, and I'll let you stay near Nekomata. How's that?"

"Let me try, Suga-san."

"Might as well, this is your fault anyway."

"I am nothing if not responsible." Nekomata hand came back to hold onto Daichi's chin. "Sawamura-san, you have to drink this."

"No, smells gross." Daichi's head was growing fuzzier the longer he could smell Nekomata.

"Come on, Sawamura. If you don't drink this, Suga-san's probably going to kill me."

"I might kill you either way."

"No killing allowed, Suga." Daichi frowned. Maybe he should drink the damn thing. He really didn't want Nekomata to get killed.

Daichi tried to reach for the mug, but his arms felt really heavy. He could barely keep his eyes opened, and suddenly, all the wanted to do was to close his eyes and take a nap. He barely noticed Shimizu bursting into the room, all flustered and panting; he most certainly didn't hear Suga telling Kuroo to deal with the situation as he rushed out after her.

"Sawamura-san, you'll probably kill me when you wake up, but I think Suga-san needs my help, so please forgive me."

Before Daichi could react, warm lips touched his, and a thumb was on his chin, persuading him to open his mouth. Daichi did so, and he immediately regretted it when bitter liquid filled his mouth. He could do nothing but swallow the concoction. And yet he still chased after the lips when they left him.

"You did well, darling." Gentle fingers wiped at his lips, and Daichi felt pleasure at the praise, making a happy noise.

Daichi curled into the armchair, as a blanket was placed over him. Nekomata stroked his chin with his thumb, and Daichi felt safe and cared for, Nekomata's scent calming him, before darkness overtook him.


End file.
